A year or so ago, I asked God to give me deeper revelation of him, his love and the message that he wanted me to share. Over and over I received confirmations that he would answer. At each sign, I’d get giddy inside. I didn’t realize while I was waiting though, that the revelation would come with pain, too.

I learned that love doesn’t always feel good. Sometimes it hurts, because sometimes, the truth hurts. But love isn’t genuine without truth and it’s the truth that sets us free.(John 8:32)

God knows the fight that we face and he wants to prepare us for it. He knows our deepest, darkest secrets. He knows what our strongholds are. If freedom is what we really desire, we must be willing to let the truth of God’s word penetrate and purify us, even when it hurts. After all, isn’t that the whole reason we sought God in the first place, because we realized we were dying sinners in need of a savior? YES!

It’s more than the initial salvation though. God wants us to live free and victorious lives, every day! And because of what Jesus did on the cross, when we accept him, we have total access to that! The problem is that when we surrender to Jesus, sin and the struggles that come with it don’t disappear. Honestly, it seems like the pull of it becomes stronger than before. Don’t lose heart though, I have good news!

The Key To Salvation And Holy Living

Sin separates us from God but true repentance brings us back into right standing with him. What characterizes true repentance? Godly sorrow. It’s realizing that we’ve sinned against God and that what we’ve done has broken his heart. Once we confess our sin, we must turn away from it. That is the key to keeping our hearts tender toward the voice of the Holy Spirit, which is what will lead us into all truth and keep our feet on the narrow path.

True repentance requires not just words but action, too. It should bring change to our behavior. John was clear when he said, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”(3:8) As God’s people, we should produce a crop of good deeds.

Sometimes it takes a long time for our flesh to realize that we’re serious but if we continue to repent and turn away from whatever binds us, we will eventually be free! By God’s grace we will overcome the power of sin and our lives will be a light that leads the lost to the King. It won’t be easy but it will be worth the fight!

A Glimpse That Changed My Understanding of Love

One morning during worship, I went deep into prayer. It was one of those times I wished could have lasted all day. It was like I was standing on the edge of heaven. I could tangibly feel the Presence of God.

At one point, I opened my eyes and realized that my arms were stretched out wide. Instantly, I was caught up in a vision of Jesus hanging on the cross. I looked down and it was like I was seeing through his eyes. As far as I could see there were people. Some mourning but many cheering and mocking him. He said to me, “I’m dying for them because I love them, all of them.” I felt such deep pain and gut wrenching heartbreak. As I sobbed, I asked him why he was showing me this.

He said, “To love like I do, you have to love all people, even the ones that hate you.” I knew at that moment that God was preparing me for what was to come. My purpose here is to share Jesus with the world around me. In a world blinded by darkness, I know that won’t be easy. Some will accept it and love me for it but many will reject me. It hurts just thinking about it but regardless of what people say or do, it’s my responsibility to share the truth.

You Can’t Have One Without The Other

I’m an encourager by nature so it comes easy for me to write posts that uplift and encourage, and that’s a good thing! It’s important because the enemy is relentless in condemning people so God uses me to expose his lies and give hope where there is none. But love is more than just encouragement. It has to go deeper because unfortunately, life is hard and the enemy is very tricky. Truth must accompany love for us to outsmart the enemy.

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.” ONLY to steal, kill and destroy, and what he wants to destroy more than anything is our relationship with God. His main focus is so to get us outside the will of God. How will he do it? By tempting us with the sin that “so easily entangles us”. (Hebrews 12:1)

That sin is different for each of us. What entangles me might not be an issue for you. I don’t know what your struggle is, but I’m here to tell you that the blood of Jesus can set you free! When you surrender your will to his, he will break the chains that bind you and then use your story for his glory. Can I get an amen??? Hallelujah!

With Revelation Comes Responsibility

As a teacher of the Word, it’s my responsibility to tell you the truth, to do everything I can to help you avoid the pitfalls of life. Not because I have all the answers but because I know where to find them. I could encourage you all day long but if you’re not equipped with the truth of God’s word, you’ll be walking along thinking everything is fine and then when the thief shows up, not know what to do.

This is my pledge to you. I will live my life in remembrance, never taking for granted the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation and the grace that comes with it. I’ll seek the face of God and will follow the leading of the Holy Spirit in my writings. I will teach the whole truth in love and will pray diligently for you. I do not take this lightly. I will live my life to honor the One that sets us free.

In good times and in bad, I’m committed to you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey!

POLLY MURPHY

Hello and welcome! My name is Polly Murphy. I'm from a small town right outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I'm a wife, mother of 3 and grandmother of 1. I love Jesus, meeting new people and writing! Here you will find a community of encouragement and love, a safe place where we can learn and grow together on our journey toward heaven. If you're wondering why "The Warrior Bride", let me explain. Life is hard and sometimes heart breaking but it's all a part of God preparing us to be the spotless Bride of Christ. Make no mistake, it's a fight like no other but the reward will be spending eternity with our King. We must be brave, we must be bold and in His eyes we are ALREADY beautiful! The Word tells us to put on the Armor of God. This implies that we need to be protected and assures us that there will be a battle. So I put the two together. I love the idea of being both tough and beautiful. I've been through a lot and learned a lot from many mistakes. I love God with all my heart and want to be a voice for Him, that's why I'm here. I'm so glad you're here too and I hope you'll stay! I'd love to get to know you and hear your story.
Blessings!
Polly